Man gets 290 years on 34 criminal charges

Steven Mark Lavine, 59, entered a plea of guilty on 34 separate cases of theft, money laundering, and misapplication of fiduciary property last week in the 434th District Court, Honorable Judge James H. Shoemake presiding.

According to Scott Carpenter, Chief of the Economic Crimes Division of the Fort Bend County District Attorney‘s Office, Stephen Mark Lavine owned and operated THC Technologies in Sugar Land. Through THC, Lavine sold industrial machines to 17 different companies across the United States and in Scotland from 2006 to 2009.

According to Carpenter, when a customer would transfer money to Lavine’s company for their order, Lavine would use it for personal expenses, pay off other debts and take out large cash withdrawals. Carpenter said, “At one point the defendant was informed of a theft investigation by the Sugar Land Police Department, but he continued to steal from several more companies.”

On December 15, 2011 before Judge James H. Shoemake, Lavine entered a plea of guilty on all 34 charges. Carpenter said, “Lavine pled guilty to multiple counts of Theft, Money Laundering and Misapplication of Fiduciary Property before placing his fate in the hands of the court.”

The dollar amount Lavine pled guilty to stealing was around one million dollars through several different transactions from several different businesses.

Lavine was sentenced to 20 years in prison on each of two first-degree felony charges, 15 years on each of two second-degree charges, 10 years on each of 20 separate third-degree charges, and 2 years confinement on each of 10 separate state jail felony cases.

All punishment was determined on the dollar value of each transaction. The sentences will run concurrently.